ZinedineZidane wanted to replace Laurent Blanc as France's coach after the team exited Euro 2012, and he approached the France Football Federation about the job, says the organisation's president Noel Le Graet.

France eventually appointed another of that 1998 World Cup-winning team, DidierDeschamps, to the role instead.

Le Graet makes the claim in his book, "World Champions 1998, Secrets and Power", which is being serialised in France Football.

As quoted by ITV:

ZinedineZidane would have liked to lead Les Bleus. It's clear he wanted (the job). I met him at his request. It was not the moment. He first needed to lead a team.

Since then, Zidane has become an assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, so the idea of him one day leading the French team is not exactly fanciful.